Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-01-14

|
he was connected with her fallen life. In
September. 1884, he wrote her letter,
also found in her trunk, urging her siren
uously to get married, and indicating some
man as tie person for her to marry
About July, too, Cluverius, who had al
ways been cordial to Lillian's father, com.
menced stunning him Lillian now be-
came anxious from her condition to get
away from home. She wrote to a relative
at Millboro, Bath county, to procure her
a situation, and he did 80 at Mrs, Mar
garet A. Dickinson's in that county, as
governess and teacher. She went there
October 10, 1884, and while she was there
Cluverius wrote to her regularly. as was
discovered from empty envelopes in her
trunk addressed to her in his writing. AS
her danger increased with time the poor
girl more energe5ically pressed him to help
her.
PREPARING FOR HER MURDER.
He at last decided to help her by MUIR
| derlng her. He was engaged to another
lady. who has married another since his
trial began, and did not propose to let the
threats or entreaties of Lillian disturb
him longer. On Jan. 5, 1885. Lillian told
Mrs. Dickinson that she bad received a
letter telling her her aunt, Mrs. Tunstall,
of King and Queen county, was very ill,
and she would go to see her. Being told
that it was a long trip alone, she replied
that "Cousln Tommie' (Cluverius) would
meet her. On the evening of the 5th of
of January she arrived in Richmond, and
registered at the Exchange Hotel as miss
f. l.. Merton" from Roanoke. She was
assigned room TO- 66. On the next morn
| ing Clugerius walked into the Excbange
=, Hotel, ran his fingers down the register
till be came to miss Merton, "and asked if
! the lady in No. Sc was in. He saw her,
and called again during the day. That
evening she went out and did not return
/ to the hotel till the next morning, saying
she had staid with an aunt in Richmond.
Both Mrs. Tunstall's illness and the stay
ing at her auDt'5 were proven ON the trial
to have been manufactured and not true.
On the 7th Of January she returned to
Bath. Ii was on that visit that the trap
was laid for the unhappy girl to walk into.
| Cluverius, during his visit to Richmond
on that occasion, registered at the Capitol
Hotel, one square from the Exchange.
THE VICTIM ON HER WAY TO DEATH.
| On March 10 Lillian, evidently by plan
concerted with C1ugerius at Richmond,
RECEIVED through the Bath postoffice a
forged letter which she had written to her.
self and signed "Laura Curtis" an old
sch oolmate, and which had been mailed
| by Lillian to CiuyerIus and then by him
mailed back to her. It told her to come
to Richmond, to go TO Old Point with her
aunt, who was sick. She was to go on
| the 18th of March. In it Cluyerius had
made her write that she would be met in
Richmond by Harry Curtis" a brother
Of Laura. He was far-reaching in all his
/ nurderous plans, and in this prepared the
| way to pass for Harry Curtis when he
! called for Lillian at che American Hotel.
| She read the forgery to Mrs. Dickinson
| and got her permission to GO. She got On
the cars at Millboro on the evening Of
March u, but by delay of the train did
not arrive in Richmond till about 8 O'Clock
that night. She went to the American
Hotel, registered as Miss F. L. Merton, -
next morning Friday, she TOOK breakfast
in her room, and while eating it boy
brought to the hotel note for Miss F .
l.. Merton" Showing that CluVerius
knew her assumed nancy She answered
1t as follows: 81 will bs there as soon as
possible. So do wait for me "
| This note she put in an envelope, ad-
dressed to T. J. Cluverius, and gave it to
the waiter. When the waiter reached the
| office the boy who brought the note had
gone and the clerk retained the note. 1t
was this note that first led to the suspicion
! of CIuverius who had arrived in Rich
mond on Thursday morning. March II,
and registered at the Capitol House. In a
| short time Lillian was out on the street
ard pusted letter 20 Mrs. Tunstall, her
| land Cluverius') aunt, in King William.
Though that was March 18th, she dated 1t
| March fourteenth, and though she knew
| Cluverius was in Richmond, she sent a
| message to him, "Tell Tommie I will
| write real soon." In this she had evident
| ly acted under the advice Of CluVerius
without knowing his real motive, which
| was to show if he got into trouble, that
| the woman who was dead on the night of
I tho 18Th yUac oliVn fo yurito 1ottnr TN q
| 14th, when he could be, and was, back at
| his home. During that fatal Friday she
! was seen with him, and both were posi-
| lively identified by witnesses-on Belle
| Island. at 1920; at house of ill-fame on
Fifteenth street shortly after; at the Am
| erican Hotel alone at dinner at 80, each
| time with the red shawl and blue jersey
which she left MiIlboro in. At Belle Island
| she spoke to Cluverius and said, why,
| Cousin Tommie !" Long after the trial
a workman at the G. & o. Shops made a
! statement that on that day, or the next,
| he could not be certain, a woman answer
| ing to Lillian's description stopped him
about dark, and asked to be sho wn to the
American Hotel She said she was
| teacher, from Roanoke, and had but one
| acquaintance in the city, Miss Curtis, on
Church Hill. He took her to the hotel and
went up the stairs with her and called the
| servant. This, however, was not in the
the evidence on the trial. At night about
80, Cluverius positively identiiedl called
| at the American and sent his card to the
! ''lady in No. 81" aud spoke of her as 1.-The
young lady who went to school with his
sister,, still carrying out the Harry Cur
| tbs idea. at o'clock he was seen to board